College Football: 25 breakout players to watch in 2016
By John Buhler
One team that is flying under the radar in the Big 12 this season is the Texas Tech Red Raiders. While defense has been this school’s Achilles Heel for decades, one thing that Texas Tech does better than almost anybody else is utilize the spread offense through the Air Raid attack.
Former Red Raiders quarterback Kliff Kingsbury learned form Mike Leach and has the right offensive mind to eventually succeed as head coach in Lubbock. After cycling through signal callers the last few years like Michael Brewer, Davis Webb, and even Baker Mayfield, Kingsbury has settled on what looks like a good fit under center in junior Patrick Mahomes.
Mahomes gained full control of the Air Raid in his first season as a starter in 2015 for Texas Tech. He threw for 4,653 yards, completing 63.5% of his passes (364-573) for 36 touchdowns, 15 interceptions, and a quarterback rating of 147.2.
He’s also a nimble playmaker with his legs, as Mahomes gained 456 yards on the ground in 131 attempts for 10 paydirts in 2015. Texas Tech usually has a reliable passer from the pocket, but a dual threat passer the caliber of Mahomes might help the Red Raiders make a charge in the Big 12 in 2016.
Texas Tech isn’t one of the four teams in the Big 12 most likely to contend for a College Football Playoff berth, but should the Mahomes/Kingsbury partnership grow in year three, the Red Raiders could have the offense to hang with the best the Big 12 has to offer in 2016. A 10-win season is on the table if Mahomes can achieve 5,500 all-purpose yards.
Next: 12. Trent Thompson.